1
|
Truong A, Myerscough D, Campbell I, Atkinson J, Silberg JJ. A cellular selection identifies elongated flavodoxins that support electron transfer to sulfite reductase. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4746. [PMID: 37551563 PMCID: PMC10503412 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Flavodoxins (Flds) mediate the flux of electrons between oxidoreductases in diverse metabolic pathways. To investigate whether Flds can support electron transfer to a sulfite reductase (SIR) that evolved to couple with a ferredoxin, we evaluated the ability of Flds to transfer electrons from a ferredoxin-NADP reductase (FNR) to a ferredoxin-dependent SIR using growth complementation of an Escherichia coli strain with a sulfur metabolism defect. We show that Flds from cyanobacteria complement this growth defect when coexpressed with an FNR and an SIR that evolved to couple with a plant ferredoxin. When we evaluated the effect of peptide insertion on Fld-mediated electron transfer, we observed a sensitivity to insertions within regions predicted to be proximal to the cofactor and partner binding sites, while a high insertion tolerance was detected within loops distal from the cofactor and within regions of helices and sheets that are proximal to those loops. Bioinformatic analysis showed that natural Fld sequence variability predicts a large fraction of the motifs that tolerate insertion of the octapeptide SGRPGSLS. These results represent the first evidence that Flds can support electron transfer to assimilatory SIRs, and they suggest that the pattern of insertion tolerance is influenced by interactions with oxidoreductase partners.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Albert Truong
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology Graduate Program, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Dru Myerscough
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ian Campbell
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Joshua Atkinson
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jonathan J Silberg
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhu X, Li Z, Tong Y, Chen L, Sun T, Zhang W. From natural to artificial cyanophages: Current progress and application prospects. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 223:115428. [PMID: 36746205 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The over proliferation of harmful cyanobacteria and their cyanotoxins resulted in damaged aquatic ecosystem, polluted drinking water and threatened human health. Cyanophages are a kind of viruses that exclusively infect cyanobacteria, which is considered as a potential strategy to deal with cyanobacterial blooms. Nevertheless, the infecting host range and/or lysis efficiency of natural cyanophages is limited, rising the necessity of constructing non-natural cyanophages via artificial modification, design and synthesis to expand their host range and/or efficiency. The paper firstly reviewed representative cyanophages such as P60 with a short latent period of 1.5 h and S-CBS1 having a burst size up to 200 PFU/cell. To explore the in-silico design principles, we critically summarized the interactions between cyanophages and the hosts, indicating modifying the recognized receptors, enhancing the adsorption ability, changing the lysogeny and excluding the defense of hosts are important for artificial cyanophages. The research progress of synthesizing artificial cyanophages were summarized subsequently, raising the importance of developing genetic manipulation technologies and their rescue strategies in the future. Meanwhile, Large-scale preparation of cyanophages for bloom control is a big challenge. The application prospects of artificial cyanophages besides cyanobacteria bloom control like adaptive evolution and phage therapy were discussed at last. The review will promote the design, synthesis and application of cyanophages for cyanobacteria blooms, which may provide new insights for the related water pollution control and ensuring hydrosphere security.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Zhu
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China; Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology & Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| | - Zipeng Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Yindong Tong
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China; Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology & Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin, 300072, PR China.
| | - Tao Sun
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China; Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology & Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin, 300072, PR China; Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China.
| | - Weiwen Zhang
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China; Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology & Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin, 300072, PR China; Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Evolving a New Electron Transfer Pathway for Nitrogen Fixation Uncovers an Electron Bifurcating-Like Enzyme Involved in Anaerobic Aromatic Compound Degradation. mBio 2023; 14:e0288122. [PMID: 36645294 PMCID: PMC9973337 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02881-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Nitrogenase is the key enzyme involved in nitrogen fixation and uses low potential electrons delivered by ferredoxin (Fd) or flavodoxin (Fld) to reduce dinitrogen gas (N2) to produce ammonia, generating hydrogen gas (H2) as an obligate product of this activity. Although the phototrophic alphaproteobacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris encodes multiple proteins that can reduce Fd, the FixABCX complex is the only one shown to support nitrogen fixation, and R. palustris Fix- mutants grow poorly under nitrogen-fixing conditions. To investigate how native electron transfer chains (ETCs) can be redirected toward nitrogen fixation, we leveraged the strong selective pressure of nitrogen limitation to isolate a suppressor of an R. palustris ΔfixC strain that grows under nitrogen-fixing conditions. We found two mutations were required to restore growth under nitrogen-fixing conditions in the absence of functional FixABCX. One mutation was in the gene encoding the primary Fd involved in nitrogen fixation, fer1, and the other mutation was in aadN, which encodes a homolog of NAD+-dependent Fd:NADPH oxidoreductase (Nfn). We present evidence that AadN plays a role in electron transfer to benzoyl coenzyme A reductase, the key enzyme involved in anaerobic aromatic compound degradation. Our data support a model where the ETC for anaerobic aromatic compound degradation was repurposed to support nitrogen fixation in the ΔfixC suppressor strain. IMPORTANCE There is increasing evidence that protein electron carriers like Fd evolved to form specific partnerships with select electron donors and acceptors to keep native electron transfer pathways insulated from one another. This makes it challenging to integrate a Fd-dependent pathway such as biological nitrogen fixation into non-nitrogen-fixing organisms and provide the high-energy reducing power needed to fix nitrogen. Here, we show that amino acid substitutions in an electron donor for anaerobic aromatic compound degradation and an Fd involved in nitrogen fixation enabled electron transfer to nitrogenase. This study provides a model system to understand electron transfer chain specificity and how new electron transfer pathways can be evolved for biotechnologically valuable pathways like nitrogen fixation.
Collapse
|
4
|
Azemin WA, Alias N, Ali AM, Shamsir MS. Structural and functional characterisation of HepTH1-5 peptide as a potential hepcidin replacement. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:681-704. [PMID: 34870559 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.2011415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Hepcidin is a principal regulator of iron homeostasis and its dysregulation has been recognised as a causative factor in cancers and iron disorders. The strategy of manipulating the presence of hepcidin peptide has been used for cancer treatment. However, this has demonstrated poor efficiency and has been short-lived in patients. Many studies reported using minihepcidin therapy as an alternative way to treat hepcidin dysregulation, but this was only applied to non-cancer patients. Highly conserved fish hepcidin protein, HepTH1-5, was investigated to determine its potential use in developing a hepcidin replacement for human hepcidin (Hepc25) and as a therapeutic agent by targeting the tumour suppressor protein, p53, through structure-function analysis. The authors found that HepTH1-5 is stably bound to ferroportin, compared to Hepc25, by triggering the ferroportin internalisation via Lys42 and Lys270 ubiquitination, in a similar manner to the Hepc25 activity. Moreover, the residues Ile24 and Gly24, along with copper and zinc ligands, interacted with similar residues, Lys24 and Asp1 of Hepc25, respectively, showing that those molecules are crucial to the hepcidin replacement strategy. HepTH1-5 interacts with p53 and activates its function through phosphorylation. This finding shows that HepTH1-5 might be involved in the apoptosis signalling pathway upon a DNA damage response. This study will be very helpful for understanding the mechanism of the hepcidin replacement and providing insights into the HepTH1-5 peptide as a new target for hepcidin and cancer therapeutics.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Atirah Azemin
- School of Agriculture Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia.,Bioinformatics Research Group (BIRG), Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Nadiawati Alias
- School of Agriculture Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Abdul Manaf Ali
- School of Agriculture Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Shahir Shamsir
- Bioinformatics Research Group (BIRG), Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia.,Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Pagoh Higher Education Hub, Muar, Johor, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Jacobson TB, Callaghan MM, Amador-Noguez D. Hostile Takeover: How Viruses Reprogram Prokaryotic Metabolism. Annu Rev Microbiol 2021; 75:515-539. [PMID: 34348026 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-060621-043448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
To reproduce, prokaryotic viruses must hijack the cellular machinery of their hosts and redirect it toward the production of viral particles. While takeover of the host replication and protein synthesis apparatus has long been considered an essential feature of infection, recent studies indicate that extensive reprogramming of host primary metabolism is a widespread phenomenon among prokaryotic viruses that is required to fulfill the biosynthetic needs of virion production. In this review we provide an overview of the most significant recent findings regarding virus-induced reprogramming of prokaryotic metabolism and suggest how quantitative systems biology approaches may be used to provide a holistic understanding of metabolic remodeling during lytic viral infection. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 75 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler B Jacobson
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA; , , .,Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53726, USA.,Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
| | - Melanie M Callaghan
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA; , , .,Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
| | - Daniel Amador-Noguez
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA; , , .,Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53726, USA.,Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Campbell IJ, Kahanda D, Atkinson JT, Sparks ON, Kim J, Tseng CP, Verduzco R, Bennett GN, Silberg JJ. Recombination of 2Fe-2S Ferredoxins Reveals Differences in the Inheritance of Thermostability and Midpoint Potential. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:3245-3253. [PMID: 33226772 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Recombination can be used in the laboratory to overcome component limitations in synthetic biology by creating enzymes that exhibit distinct activities and stabilities from native proteins. To investigate how recombination affects the properties of an oxidoreductase that transfers electrons in cells, we created ferredoxin (Fd) chimeras by recombining distantly related cyanobacterial and cyanomyophage Fds (53% identity) that present similar midpoint potentials but distinct thermostabilities. Fd chimeras having a wide range of amino acid substitutions retained the ability to coordinate an iron-sulfur cluster, although their thermostabilities varied with the fraction of residues inherited from each parent. The midpoint potentials of chimeric Fds also varied. However, all of the synthetic Fds exhibited midpoint potentials outside of the parental protein range. Each of the chimeric Fds could also support electron transfer between Fd-NADP reductase and sulfite reductase in Escherichia coli, although the chimeric Fds varied in the expression required for similar levels of cellular electron transfer. These results show how Fds can be diversified through recombination and reveal differences in the inheritance of thermostability and electrochemical properties. Furthermore, they illustrate how electron transfer efficiencies of chimeric Fds can be rapidly evaluated using a synthetic metabolic pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ian J. Campbell
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-140, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Dimithree Kahanda
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-140, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Joshua T. Atkinson
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-140, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Othneil Noble Sparks
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-140, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Jinyoung Kim
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-140, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Chia-Ping Tseng
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-362, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Rafael Verduzco
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-362, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - George N. Bennett
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-140, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-362, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Jonathan J. Silberg
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-140, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-362, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-142, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| |
Collapse
|